Joseph M. Root
Encyclopedia
Joseph Mosley Root was a U.S. Representative
from Ohio
.
Born in Brutus, New York
, Root pursued classical studies.
He studied law in Auburn, New York
.
He moved to Ohio in 1829.
He was admitted to the bar
in 1830 and commenced practice in Norwalk, Ohio
.
In 1832-1833, Root was Mayor of Sandusky, Ohio
In 1835, Root married Mary S. Buckingham in Norwalk. They had five daughters.
Root was elected prosecuting attorney of Huron County in 1837.
He served as member of the State senate in 1840 and 1841.
Root was elected as a Whig
to the Twenty-ninth
Congress.
He was reelected to the Thirtieth
Congress and reelected as a Free-Soil candidate to the Thirty-first
Congress (March 4, 1845-March 3, 1851). In 1848, he introduced a resolution that recommended New Mexico
and California
have territorial governments which excluded slavery.
He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury (Thirtieth Congress).
He served as Presidential elector on the Republican ticket in 1860.
He was appointed United States Attorney
for the northern district of Ohio in 1861.
He was again a member of the Ohio Senate
in 1869.
He served as Democratic delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1873.
He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for probate judge of Erie County in 1875.
He died in Sandusky, Ohio
, April 7, 1879.
He was interred in Oakland Cemetery.
The Joseph Root House in Sandusky may have been a "safe house" on the Underground Railroad
, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
.
Born in Brutus, New York
Brutus, New York
Brutus is a town in Cayuga County, New York, USA. The population was 4,464 at the 2010 census. The name was assigned by a clerk interested in the classics.The Town of Brutus is located in the east part of the county and is west of Syracuse....
, Root pursued classical studies.
He studied law in Auburn, New York
Auburn, New York
Auburn is a city in Cayuga County, New York, United States of America. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 27,687...
.
He moved to Ohio in 1829.
He was admitted to the bar
Admission to the bar in the United States
In the United States, admission to the bar is the granting of permission by a particular court system to a lawyer to practice law in that system. Each U.S. state and similar jurisdiction has its own court system and sets its own rules for bar admission , which can lead to different admission...
in 1830 and commenced practice in Norwalk, Ohio
Norwalk, Ohio
At the 2000 census, there were 16,238 people, 6,377 households and 4,234 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,950.3 per square mile . There were 6,687 housing units at an average density of 803.1 per square mile...
.
In 1832-1833, Root was Mayor of Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
In 1835, Root married Mary S. Buckingham in Norwalk. They had five daughters.
Root was elected prosecuting attorney of Huron County in 1837.
He served as member of the State senate in 1840 and 1841.
Root was elected as a Whig
Whig Party (United States)
The Whig Party was a political party of the United States during the era of Jacksonian democracy. Considered integral to the Second Party System and operating from the early 1830s to the mid-1850s, the party was formed in opposition to the policies of President Andrew Jackson and his Democratic...
to the Twenty-ninth
29th United States Congress
-House of Representatives:During this congress, two House seats were added for each of the new states of Texas and Iowa.-Leadership:-Senate:* President: George M. Dallas * President pro tempore: Willie P. Mangum...
Congress.
He was reelected to the Thirtieth
30th United States Congress
The Thirtieth United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1847 to March 3, 1849, during the last two years of...
Congress and reelected as a Free-Soil candidate to the Thirty-first
31st United States Congress
The Thirty-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, consisting of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C. from March 4, 1849 to March 3, 1851, during the last 17 months...
Congress (March 4, 1845-March 3, 1851). In 1848, he introduced a resolution that recommended New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
have territorial governments which excluded slavery.
He served as chairman of the Committee on Expenditures in the Department of the Treasury (Thirtieth Congress).
He served as Presidential elector on the Republican ticket in 1860.
He was appointed United States Attorney
United States Attorney
United States Attorneys represent the United States federal government in United States district court and United States court of appeals. There are 93 U.S. Attorneys stationed throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands...
for the northern district of Ohio in 1861.
He was again a member of the Ohio Senate
Ohio Senate
The Ohio State Senate is the upper house of the Ohio General Assembly, the legislative body for the U.S. state of Ohio. There are 33 State Senators. The state legislature meets in the state capital, Columbus. The President of the Senate presides over the body when in session, and is currently Tom...
in 1869.
He served as Democratic delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1873.
He was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for probate judge of Erie County in 1875.
He died in Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Erie County. It is located in northern Ohio and is situated on the shores of Lake Erie, almost exactly half-way between Toledo to the west and Cleveland to the east....
, April 7, 1879.
He was interred in Oakland Cemetery.
The Joseph Root House in Sandusky may have been a "safe house" on the Underground Railroad
Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places listings in Sandusky, Ohio
This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Sandusky, Ohio.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Sandusky, Ohio, United States...
.